Freemasonry@86 News - 15 January
2021
Welcome to your news and information update for the progressive/companion Orders of Freemasonry administered from Mark Masons' Hall, 86 St James's.
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Farewell to two very familiar faces
R.W.Bro. Brian Clifford Wareham, P.Prov.G.M. (Sussex)
We are sad to report the passing of Brian Clifford Wareham who die d on 29 December 2020. Brian was known to many as a keen, enthusiastic and supportive Freemason. His Masonic
achievements are numerous, not just in Orders administered from Mark Masons’ Hall but the Craft, Royal Arch, and independent Orders as well.
He was instrumental in the early days of the newly formed Mark Province of London, rising quickly through the ranks from Prov.A.G.D.C., via Deputy, to Prov.G.D.C., a role in which he excelled and would reprise in other Orders. He went on to be Prov.G.M. for Sussex from 2007-2012.
He served at 1st.Gt.Con. in the Knights Templar in 2015, and for ten years held the active rank of Grand Marshal in the Red Cross of Constantine (1996-2006), also being appointed G.C.T. in 2002. He held the Office of Dist.G.M. for Sussex in the Royal and Select Masters (2013-2016) and Dist.G.Pref. for Southern Counties in the Allied Masonic Degrees (2000-2005).
But it was perhaps the Order of the Secret Monitor that gave Brian a golden opportunity to make a truly indelible mark on the Orders administered from Mark Masons’ Hall.
Promoted from President of the Executive Committee to Dep.G.S.R. (2005-2010, later awarded the Order of Service to Secret Monitor Masonry) he played a pivotal role in establishing the Scarlet Cord as a Sovereign Order. The beautiful ritual of the Fourth Grade ceremony being his lasting legacy to
that Order, his efforts were acknowledged when he was appointed and invested as the primus Deputy Grand Summus at the inauguration ceremony.
Brian was a regular visitor to Mark Masons’ Hall but was also well known throughout the Country, and indeed overseas, thanks to his extraordinary appetite for Masonic visiting and travel. He was a good friend and mentor to many Freemasons and worked tirelessly for the benefit of our Orders. Brian will be a greatly missed member of our Masonic family.
The funeral service is to be held on Wednesday, 20 January 2021 at 12 noon and will be streamed online.
R.W.Bro. John Brackley, P.G.S.W., and former Grand Secretary at Mark Masons' Hall
Also, sadly, yesterday we bid farewell to John Brackley who passed to his rest on 2 January. John was a distinguished freemason who played a pivotal roll in the administration of the Progressive Orders at Mark Masons’ Hall for over twelve years.
John’s first step on the ladder leading to senior masonic rank was in 1990 when he was appointed Provincial Grand Secretary for the newly constituted Mark Province of London. In the following ten years he achieved high office in several other Orders including Deputy Grand Sword Bearer in the Mark and Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies in the Allied Masonic Degrees.
Undoubtedly it was his masonic activities in the closing decade of the twentieth century that highlighted John’s talent as an administrator and organiser. In his professional life, he had been a commodities broker in the city but when the call came in 2000 inviting him to join the full -time staff at Mark Masons’ Hall as Assistant Grand Secretary, he jumped at the chance to change direction. John served his apprenticeship in the Secretariat under the watchful eye of the then Grand Secretary, R.W.Bro. Tim Lewis. He must have met the grade because just five years later he was appointed as Tim’s successor – the eleventh Grand Secretary at Mark Masons’ Hall since 1856. He served that office for seven years before retiring in 2012.
His masonic CV records exemplary achievements in every one of the Orders administered from Mark Masons’ Hall and he was particularly proud of having served the OSM as Assistant and then Deputy Grand Supreme Ruler and the RSM and AMD as Past Deputy Grand Master.
Outside freemasonry, John was an accomplished organist and could often be found sat at the keyboard in his Dorset home tinkling the ivories. Married to Mary with two children, Kathryn and James, he was very much a family man and a doting grandfather. His demeanour was often quiet and unassuming which belied a very dry sense of humour.
We will miss John’s continuing contribution, but his legacy will live on through the Orders he helped to nurture while Grand Secretary. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time. Well done thou good and faithful servant.
Charity Round Up
Great write up from Northumbria Blood Bikes
This is an excerpt from a full review of 2020 which can be found on the Northumbria Blood Bikes website Here2
In 2019 we discovered that our current radio system would no longer be supported. The radio system is vital as we work in all weather conditions in an operational area that's over 3,000 square miles. It came as a fantastic surprise when we heard from the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons, that the Mark Benevolent Fund would donate the full £24K cost of the new communication system. Darren W. Coleman-Heald, Charities Manager, Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons said: “The Mark Benevolent Fund and the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons are delighted to be able to continue the relationship with our Blood Bike 'Family' albeit in these difficult and uncertain times. The service provided by them is second to none - always going the extra mile - literally."
Kent's Masonic Centres open their doors as Vaccination Centres
As the vaccination programme gets going, two Masonic Centres in Kent have open their doors as vaccine centres, Welling and Tunbridge Wells. Good luck to all involved in the roll out of the vaccine. The Mark Province of Kent's Facebook page posted the following: We are delighted and proud to
hear via W.Bro. Mark Estaugh that "COVID-19 vaccination has begun this morning at Tunbridge Wells Masonic Centre with 50 people per hour arriving.Our TWMC team, wearing 'West Kent Masons' hi vis jackets, managed the hosting and car parking.Those receiving the vaccine were delighted to see the Masonic Center playing its part, many of whom were unaware that it was even there !Roger Mallett and his TWMC team have worked hard for this day and so proud that West Kent is playing its part in the fight against COVID-19."
And we're off
The Grand Summus of the Ancient Masonic Order of the Scarlet Cord, M.Dist.Comp. Ian Currans, was pleased to make his first virtual visit of 2021 when he joined R.Dist.Comp. Colin Woodcock, Prov.G.S. and nearly 100 Companions of the Province of London for their Provincial Virtual Business Meeting on Friday, 8 January.
Pride of Surrey Council R.S.M. proud to be supporting the MBF
Festival 2022
Chris Eley writes:
A Virtual Business Meeting of the Pride of Surrey Council was held via the Zoom Video Conferencing tool on Wednesday, 13 January. There were 17 Companions of the Council present at the meeting, and one guest, our District Grand Master, R.Ill.Comp. David J. Blackburn.
The Presiding Officer, Ill.Comp. Steve Jones, Thrice Illustrious Master, proposed that the sum of £300 be donated by the Council towards the Surrey Mark 2022 Festival. This was seconded by Ill.Comp. Tim Ford, Treasurer, and approved by the Companions.
Our District Grand Master thanked the Companions of Pride of Surrey Council for their generous donation which brings their total donation to the Festival to £500. This will be very much appreciated by the Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. Ian N. Clark.
Across Social Media
On Facebook - The vehicles that keep on giving
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And, you don't see funeral processions like this anymore
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src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F museumfreemasonry%2Fphotos%2Fa.338186463407838%2F851340762092403%2F&width=500&sh ow_text=true&height=525&appId" width="500" height="525" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>
A Taken from the fascinating story of "William Bean's Final Excursion" on the Museum of Freemasonry's website
“The brethren being dressed in mourning, with aprons and white gloves, the officers wearing their insignia and jewels. The procession was headed by the police, followed by the Mayor, Corporation, Magistrates, and gentry. The band of the 6th North York Volunteers playing the "Dead March in Saul."
You can read the full article Here3
On Twitter - Sussex O.S.M. encourage Brethren to keep the light shining
http://twitter.com/statuses/1348306941760724998
Not seeing your news? Join us on Social Media
Social Media is becoming an increasingly important platform for how we get to hear about what is going on further afield in all of our Orders. If your Province/District/Division has a Facebook Page/Group or Twitter Feed, or if you represent a Masonic Club or Society linked to our Orders, please send us an invite to join or follow you.
We can be found at:
Facebook - Mark Secretariat4 - This is the contact account for the Mark Masons' Hall Facebook Page5
Twitter - @MarkMasonsHall6
Or you can email us at [email protected]
MBF Festival 2021
East Lancashire Province, hosts of the 153rd Mark Benevolent Fund Annual Festival in 2021, have produced a unique Souvenir Festival Calendar for the year 2021 and copies are now available. These large, wall hanging calendars feature twelve contrasting prints of iconic sights in East Lancashire, commencing with the beauty of Pendle Hill in January and ending with Manchester’s colourful Christmas Market in December. The 12 original watercolours were painted by Annette Young over the past four years specially for this calendar without cost to the Province. Calendars are priced at £10 each and all proceeds will go to the MBF.
So, let us brighten your kitchen or office wall and at the same time provide much needed support for our Mark Benevolent Fund. Why not purchase several more copies to send to friends and family at Christmas? 4https://www.facebook.com/mmh.secretariat.3 5https://www.facebook.com/MarkMasonsHall/ 6https://twitter.com/MarkMasonsHall 7mailto:[email protected]
Thank you very much for your support.
The calendar measures: 318mm x 228mm folded – 318mm x 456mm open To order:
By email: [email protected] By telephone: 07766731307
Payment by cheque to East Lancs Mark 2021 Festival – post to: East Lancs Calendars. 47 St Leonards Way, Woore, Crewe. CW3 9SS Or contact them for electronic payment details
And don't forget, Stewardship, Badge and Festival orders can be places as well. Click Here9 for the Stewardship and Festival Badge Form
Click Here10 for the complete Festival pack
And you can visit the Province of East Lancashire's website Here11
The KT 20 for 2020 Appeal has now passed £44,000 and continues
to raise money
Please note that the MCF, who are handling donations to this appeal, have moved their payment collection site from the Everyday Hero platform to that of Just Giving. This doesn't impact how you make your donation but unfortunately it isn't possible for us to set the amount of your donation automatically to £20. The default set by the website is £30 and you will need to adjust it down. You can support the Eye Hospital by making a £20 donation. Just Click Here12 or use the Text Donate
facility below. 8mailto:[email protected] 9https://www.markmasonshall.org/images/news_articles/2020/2021_MBF_Stewardship__Badge_Form.pdf 10https://www.markmasonshall.org/images/news_articles/2020/2021_MBF_Festival_Complete_Forms_Pack.p df 11http://www.wordpress.eastlancsmark.org/?p=11465 12https://fundraising.mcf.org.uk/Appeal -KT2042020
100% of donations will be given to the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group to support their vital work. To recognise your generosity and support, The Great Priory of Knights Templar is sending a limited-edition Swift tie/lapel pin to every donor.
The Swift pins are now being posted out but please bear with us as we are only in the office one day per week to carry out this task so some deliveries will take longer than others. Thank you for your patience.
The Shop@86 has been unable to re-open due to the latest
restrictions.
This has also had a knock on effect on a few outstanding orders. Please contact the Shop directl y if you require any information relating to you order.
Helping to Combat Covid
At the start of Lockdown the Grand Secretary, R.W.Bro. Ryan A. Williams, P.G.J.W., shared the COVID Symptom Study13 app.
As local lockdowns and UK cases increase, with over 4 million users, this app is a useful source of information regarding the situation in your area, as well as being a portal through which people of all ages and backgrounds are joining together to fight COVID, support the NHS, help scientific research and help get us out of lockdown safely.
Business as usual for the Staff@86
Staff from the 4th Floor at Mark Masons' Hall have returned to working from home but all departments and teams are available via email and telephone to help and support as usual.
